Friday, February 29, 2008

Bridal Bootcamp kicks off on Monday, March 3rd. With 5 locations throughout Chicago, there is probably a bootcamp near you! The first class is a free trial sesson if you aren't yet sure if you want to commit. I've heard really good things about these classes.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Last Sunday morning, I attended the Spring Make-up Preview hosted by Sonia Roselli at NU U Spa, the former Enfuse Spa. The morning started off perfectly—fashion bibles and mimosas in hand.

Sonia with one of her bibles.

As Sonia dissected some of the latest looks for Spring, we chatted about many fun topics besides the latest make-up trends. Sonia performed a few demonstrations on the lucky gal next to her. She showed some great looks with her beautiful new spring palette. All attendees of the class received a set of fabulous make-up brushes with a leather roll as well as the make-up pallette, two lip glosses, and make-up primer.

Picture of glamorous make-up palette!

The classes are now complete. Visit Sonia's blog for information about her next event.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Well, I am experiencing a bit of sticker shock. I came back from the post office on my lunch break to find out that my invitations will cost me $.97 in postage. Considering that each of these babies has a hefty surcharge, I am a bit freaked out.

I saw this idea five years ago from Martha Stewart. I didn't have a groom but I knew that my wedding invitations would absolutely have to have a vintage stamps. Before we were engaged, I said that we had to get vintage stamps for the invitations.

My fiance understood. Well, sort of. I refuse to use regular stamps. I am actually the person that stands in line to order pretty stamps, even for my bills. Call me crazy, but it adds a little sunshine to my day.

Um, well, a lot of procrastination later and we are down to the 11th hour. The stamps needed to be ordered yesterday. Luckily, one of the Wedding Bees posted about Champion Stamp. My poor fiance and I have spent hours pouring over vintage and current stamps to find the absolute best montage.

Here is what we found. Please give me your opinions on the best collection. I really would appreciate it!

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

One of my favorite stores, Haute Bride, is having a blow out show sale. Click here to find out all the details.

Ladies, if you want to stay on top of the latest deals and bargains, please be sure to subscribe to my blog. Subscribing is easy-- just submit your email address on the link to the right of the page. Honey Bee Weddings will never share or sell your email. We promise.

The New York Times wrote this fabulous article on trends in bridal wear. The article highlights many brides are shying away from traditional ballgowns for a more revealing look.

I love the article because that was my plan all along! I always said that I wanted to look like a movie star, not a bride. In the end, however, I chose an entirely different look. While I didn’t follow my own advice, I do like the idea of something a little less traditional.

Monday, February 25, 2008

Plan the perfect wedding! See the latest in bridal fashions, invitations, jewelry, rentals, florals, decor, registry gifts, catering, cakes, honeymoons, hair styles, entertainment, photography, transportation, and more!Valuable prizes will be given away along the walk and posh gift bags will be given away to all brides!

Walk begins at Char Crews, 8 Grant Square, Hinsdale.

Fashion show begins at 3:30 p.m. @ Zion Lutheran Church.

One lucky couple will win airfare and three nights at The Westin Maui courtesy of Classic Vacations & Viking Travel!

Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door for bride plus 1 guest; $5 for additional guests at the fashion show and raffle drawings.

Call (630) 789-2020 to register; limited to the first 150 brides - so call today!Bring in a gently-used bridesmaid dress to donate to Cinderella's Closet and be entered into a special drawing for a $430 spa and makeover package from Zazú Salon & Day Spa!

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Elizabeth Grace hosted an intimate party, Love for Sale, last night in their storefront. The owner, Laura, is truly wonderful at her work. Her extensive collection of invitations is astounding. What is so surprising in the number of beautiful styles she designs for her brides. The invitations vary from classic to classic with a modern twist to completely unique and edgy.

A classic invitation from Elizabeth Grace

And a more modern example

The store also carries all of my favorite stationary lines-- Snow & Graham, Vera Wang, and a variety of gorgeous couture cards. There also also very cute presents- everything from totes to Vosges chocolates. I bought my fiance's Valentine's gift there.

The event highlighted many other great Chicago vendors. A representative from Rick Aguilar Studios was available to take portraits for your sweetheart. Before the picture, complimentary make-up touch-ups were available by Darcy McGrath. Darcy, of Beauty and the Bride, did a stellar job. While I was getting glamorous, I was able to enjoy a performance by Stitely Entertainment and eat some treats from Calihan Catering.

If you are looking in the mood to look at something pretty, stop by Elizabeth Grace.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

The rules? Copy this entire list of questions and change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then tag and pass it along to other blogging friends. Let’s see how well we can get to know one another!

1. What is your occupation? Day of Wedding Coordinator; Project Manager for a software company.

2. What color are your socks right now?Hot Pink argyle knee socks

3. What are you listening to right now?Absolute silence, my fiance is away for his bachelor party weekend.

Enjoy an Exclusive Bridal Fashion Show with Mira Couture & the Jenny Yoo Collection, as you sip specialty cocktail drinks, courtesy of LUSH Wine & Spirits, and sample hors d’oeuvres from Phil Stefani Catering and desserts from Le Royale Icing. Treat yourself to a Bridal Makeover from MAC Cosmetics and a Chair Massage from Escape 2 Fitness, as you take in Live Flamenco Music from the Bryan Lubeck Trio. Guests will also receive MAC makeup in their goodie bags. As a special bonus, register to win a 7-night Honeymoon in St. Lucia at Anse Chastanet, a Four Diamond resort, sponsored by Personalized Honeymoons of Personalized Travel Service and the St. Lucia Tourism Board. All you have to do is register for the event and be present to win this great prize.

Take a chance to win one of our other fabulous raffle prizes, which include a Bed & Breakfast package for 2 at the Hyatt Lodge, Dinner for 2 at any of the Phil Stefani Restaurants (value: $100.00), $100 Gift Certificate at Left Bank Jewelry, $200 Gift Card from the Jenny Yoo Collection, Fitness Package from Unicus Fitness & the Wedding Boot Camp and more!

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Sutton Place Hotel is running a fantastic special. If you book your wedding reception at their hotel, you will received a 90 minute Continental Breakfast for all of your quests the day after the wedding.

Sutton Place Hotel is located above at the corners of Rush and Bellvue, right at the start of the Viagra Triangle. It's a great boutique hotel for couples that are planning for a medium size wedding yet want a unique ballroom.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

I would like to say that my entire wedding was paid without batting an eyelash. It just ain’t so. Several eyelashes have been batted and maybe, one or two eyebrows have been lifted.

While we aren’t going into debt or touching our savings, we have to cut some corners so that we can afford our dream wedding. How so? Well, here are some practical ways to save a few dollars for your wedding.

1. Brunch, Dinner, and Good Eats—We cut down on our dining out. We will go out for dinner IF we have a gift certificate or if we have made plans to go out with friends. (We don’t want to become antisocial!) We also came up with the idea of going to some places that are BYOB. However, we haven’t done that yet—but it is another great way to save money.

2. Clothes- Both me and my fiancé are shoppers. Serious shoppers. We decided that we aren’t buying any clothes this year unless we need them. First, let me qualify this budget saving tip. My fiancé has over 60 dress shirts for work. In the past few months, he has managed to lose some weight. The shirts looked fine but his dress pants were hanging off of him. He simply had to buy new work clothes. (Did he really need three pairs of Theory pants at $200 a pop? I digress.) As for me, I have enough clothes to last me several years. Do I really need another sweater considering that I own 42 already? No. But… I did end up buying a deep red sweaterdress to stay up on the latest trends.

3. Giving up our Vices- Some people collect wine, my fiancé collects beer. He has an off-site beer cellar to keep his stash in the appropriate temperature. We agreed that he wouldn’t buy any beer IF I wouldn’t buy any beauty products. It’s a little insane but, with few exceptions, we have kept our agreement. I don’t know what is crazier—he hasn’t bought any beer (but has still been regularly drinking a beer 4-5 per week) OR that I haven’t even made a dent in my eye shadow or lip gloss collection.

4. Use ‘em up!- We have credit everywhere. Miles on American Airlines (Using for the honeymoon). Gift cards (Birthday and Holiday Presents). Discounts from belonging to certain programs. We are trying to use them up for everything. It’s surprising what you can buy for (almost) free.

Monday, February 11, 2008

Help fight breast cancer with your wedding gown! On Monday, March 3rd, from 12 noon to 6 p.m., white CHICAGO is dedicating the day to collecting gowns for donation to Brides Against Breast Cancer.

For the “dress drive,” white CHICAGO and Brides Against Breast Cancer are in need of contemporary style gowns, slips and veils that are less than 7 years old. Also, a copy of a tag or a receipt is helpful, as this will assist in pricing the dress and/or accessory for resale. Due to the extensive inventory of vintage, antique and retro gowns, we ask that you withhold your contribution of dresses that were designed prior to the year 2000.

A non-for-profit organization, Brides Against Breast Cancer is hosting its annual gown sale at the Wyndham Chicago Hotel, March 6th – 8th, which gives 100% of the proceeds to breast cancer research. Last year, white CHICAGO and their brides donated over 70 wedding gowns, worth $220,000, to Brides Against Breast Cancer and hope to double that amount this year.“Brides Against Breast Cancer” continues to be the Making Memories Foundation’s number one fund-raising event across the nation. Over 32 shows every year enable brides-to-be to find the gown of their dreams, at an incredible savings, while making wishes and dreams come true for women and men diagnosed with terminal breast cancer.

I found these on the wild west of the web...and have no idea who makes them. They aren't quite perfect but I love the color!

My dress wouldn't go with a pointy-toe shoe. If it did, these would be the ones that I would love and adore.

This is a fabulous shoe. Really. It isn't quite right with my gown but I do love it. I wish Kate Spade made it in black.

On a total whim on a very slushy and gross Chicago day, I decided to head over to Saks to browse. Why is it that the sales staff in shoe departments always look at your shoes? To protect myself from the elements, I was wearing tan suede cowboy boots. Not very fashionista but it is the best I could do in the weather.

The sales staff brought over two pairs for me. The first was a pair by Gucci with gold. No can do. The second, well, I think they found a slice of heaven for me.

Pair found on the web, by Allie. Apparently they were the hit of the Fall Fashion Week.

Of course, they didn't have my size 36. All of Saks was sold out. Neiman's, Nordstrom, Berghoff, Intermix, and Barney's don't sell Oscar shoes. Panic in the disco!

Finally, I called up the NYC Oscar boutique. Desperation in my voice, ....do you have the shoe? ....In a 36? ....in champagne? Yes!!

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Rachael Michael from Metropolitan Imageworks shot these photos at a recent b-pic marathon. What is that exactly? Rachael rents out a hotel room for a weekend and offers an hour long boudoir photoshoot.

Rachael is very talented. As a member of the WPJA, she has won a Top 10 image award. Rachael also photographs weddings and portraits as well as commerical work.

Interested in her next photoshoot?

March 7th & 8th in Chicago – accepting names for waiting list

March 29th & 30th in Phoenix – accepting bookings now

August 1st 2nd in Chicago – accepting names for waiting list

Rachael is also accepting inquiries for other cities. To travel, she needs at least 10 girls in a particular city to begin the booking process. In addition, there will be a discount for the 1st person in a particular city to spearhead the efforts.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

First off, let me start by saying that before I started my wedding plans, I was a total beauty product junkie. I will participate in any beautification process, regardless of pain, if I think it will make me pretty.

Here's a list of things that I will be doing in preparation for my Wedding Day:

Skin Masks-- I've been giving myself a skin mask weekly starting eight months prior to the wedding. When my skin is oily or breaking out, I use Mary Kay Revitalizing Mask. In the winter, I find that a weekly Nivea mask really does wonders for my skin. Every few months, I use the intensive Origins Charcoal Mask. It's intense and great on blackheads. As long as you moisturize afterward, your skin will look fabulous.

Facials-- Since I take really good care of my skin, I have been getting facials every three months for the past year. I have read that it is recommended to get a facial every month. I would do it but that gets expensive! I love Aveda salon facials the best.

Nail Care -- 3 months prior, I am going to start getting manicures every other week to ensure that I have the healthiest nails ever. I have been applying cuticle creme and lotion daily. Burt's Bees is the knees bees for cuticle creme. I also like using Nailtiques protein to help my nails grow stronger.

Microdermabrasion-- I heart microdermabrasion. After a treatment, I feel that my skin looks years younger. I have had the treatment done on an irregular basis the past few years. In preperation for the Big Day, I had a treatment in December. I will probably get another one in February and in April.

Waxing-- Never fun but I do make a visit to Brazil before big trips. I will get a waxing probably on Tuesday or Wednesday before the wedding.

Tanning-- This totally goes against being healthy but I am going to do a tanning cocktail on Friday. Twenty minutes in a tanning bed + One Mystic Spray Tan leaves me an entirely different color...but in the good way.

Teeth Whitening-- In my personal opinion, this will be the most painful treatment for me. For a regular tea drinker, it really isn't optional. The last time I did a Zoom! treatment, I was in pain for days. Luckily, I have some leftover Tylenol 3s from my gum transplant surgery.

Botox-- I ugly cry. Besides, I am beginning to get frown lines between my brows. My plan is to get a tad of Botox to make me look wonderful and ward off the aging process a wee bit longer.

Water-- I am sure you have read this in magazines but it REALLY is true. Drink lots of water and your skin will look fabulous.

Alright ladies, I have totally spilled the beans on my beauty preperation plans. Does anyone have any other great ideas?

Monday, February 4, 2008

I had such a wonderful time at the last CS bridal event. It is one of the best bridal events. My only complaint was that the goodie bags were way too heavy for me to be carrying around on the charity walk!

So of course, I cannot wait to attend CS's spring event. I am also very excited to be attending this event because it will be hosted in Chicago's newest event space, the Trump Towers.

Tickets can be purchased at the Chicago Social website. Tickets are $60 for the first ticket and $25 for each additional ticket.